Mitsubishi Recalls i-MiEV Electric Cars for Brake Problems

Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s North America unit is recalling certain i-MiEV electric cars from the 2012 model year because of a brake-system problem that could make the vehicles difficult to stop properly.

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Mitsubishi I-MiEV.

In a document filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the car maker said the recall includes 1,402 cars that it built from Dec. 2, 2011, through Sept. 7, 2012. In these cars, the brake system vacuum pump may contain flawed parts called vanes, which can break. Broken vanes can cause the vacuum pump to fail.

If the vaccum pump fails, the car would lose some of its braking power. As a result the car may take longer distances to stop, which could increase the risk of a crash.

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